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Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on CityMinded.org.

By Meghna Tare

Rising opportunity costs and population growth are resulting in land use change and declines in critical ecosystem services. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that 60 percent of the Earth’s ecosystem services are being depleted at a very rapid rate.

Biodiversity and ecosystems provide invaluable services and products to the society. These include food, water, and protection from erosion, recreational services, medicinal products, and climate regulation. Despite this significant economic, social, and cultural value of biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services, biodiversity is lost at a rapid rate. The need for policies that promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services is more important than ever.  World Resource Institute (WRI) estimates the value of ecosystem services to be US$33 trillion a year, nearly twice the value of the global gross national product (GNP) of US$18 trillion.

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) are agreements whereby a user of an ecosystem service makes a payment to an individual or communities whose practices like land use or deforestation directly affects the use of that ecosystem services.  Ecosystem beneficiaries include downstream hydroelectric utilities that use clean water for their day-to-day operations. Payment for such management practices reduces soil erosion. Soil erosion and sediment buildup have negative effects that impact the efficiency of dams and the cost of energy. Interest in PES has been rapidly increasing over the past few years and according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) these projects channel over $6.53 billion annually. Over 300 PES projects are implemented in countries like India, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Australia. These schemes flourish wherever private companies, public-sector agencies, and non profit organizations like Conservation International (CI) have joined hands in addressing various environmental issues.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and PES

As corporate social responsibility (CSR) becomes an integral part of many organizations, PES offers an innovative solution that fits within the “Green Growth” approach of sustainable development- synergizing economic development with environmental protection. Companies that are adopting CSR practices are implementing PES projects in partnership with the government and local communities to offset the damage to the ecosystem as a result of their operation or practices.

Case study

In southwestern China’s Sichuan Province, Marriott protects the source of fresh water for more than 2 billion people by investing $500,000 over two years in a Nobility of Nature program in partnership with a nonprofit Conservation International (CI). The partnership promotes beekeeping and honey production. Nobility of Nature honey is sold in nearly all Marriott hotels throughout China, with a portion of the proceeds going back to support the program. Marriott’s investment in the Nobility of Nature project addresses several of the company’s key CSR goals including the reduction of energy and water consumption and investment in innovative conservation initiatives like rainforest protection and water conservation. Locally Marriott’s funding has helped provide equipment to monitor the condition of nearby fresh water sources and wildlife, 600 bee hives, and training in the organic bee farming business.

Growing market for carbon sequestration

PES is also gaining attention because of its link to the growing mitigation eff­orts associated with climate change. Deforestation is responsible for up to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Markets for carbon sequestration have facilitated payments for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) on a voluntary basis, and are growing rapidly. For example, the World Bank estimates that Indonesia alone could earn up to US$2 billion a year in such a forest carbon market.

Criticism

Despite the success of PES in the past decade, the biggest criticism is their cost-effectiveness which in turn depends on the design and implementation of the program, and the region where it is implemented. Because payments are based on the quantity of services provided, PES programs must appropriately measure the ecosystem services, a rather difficult task. Measurements depend on complicated ecological relationships that are often poorly understood, especially in developing countries. For example, the contribution of a hectare of forest to aquifer recharge depends on the flora, soil, hydrology, and weather in the forest. Given the challenges involved in measuring ecosystem services, most PES programs use relatively coarse estimates and assumptions.

Tragedy of the commons

Proponents of PES envision it as a solution to the so called “tragedy of the commons” (Hardin 1968), defined as “a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently in their own self-interest can ultimately destroy a shared resource even where it is clear that it is not in anyone’s long-term interest for this to happen.” A promising concept that has received considerable attention, PES has the potential to become a conventional environmental management tool.  It is an essential part of the set of instruments necessary for a transition to a green economy, triple bottom line benefits, and a sustainable society.

Meghna Tare is the Director of Sustainability for University of Texas at Arlington. She has initiated and spearheaded many successful cross functional sustainability projects related to policy implementation, buildings and development, green procurement, transportation, employee engagement, waste management, and carbon management. She is also an MBA Candidate at the Presidio Graduate School. She has a sunny and positive attitude about life and all of its adventures. She enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and building relationships with friends and co-workers. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Pact Apparel, which brand itself as an “ethical and organic apparel basics brand,” announced it is releasing an organic cotton Fair Trade certified line.

The line contains 78 different products with 19 different styles, including baby clothes. For grown-ups, the line features basics like underwear, leggings, camisoles, T-shirts and long johns. In May, Pact launched a Fair Trade certified women’s T-shirt sold exclusively at Whole Foods. This new line will be sold at retailers across the U.S. including Whole Foods and Amazon.

The Fair Trade certified line is produced in a factory in India. For every purchase of a Fair Trade certified garment, Pact will donate a percentage of the sales to a worker-controlled fund. The workers will vote on how to spend the funds which include a disaster relief fund for factory workers, a scholarship fund for workers' children, infrastructure improvements in their local communities, or a cash bonus.

"With Fair Trade USA as our partner, we can follow a standard and credibly say that our products are Certified as Fair Trade," says Jeff Denby, founder of Pact. "I believe that, as a brand, our greatest opportunity for social impact is to empower the people who actually make our clothing. Fair Trade USA is the ideal partner to empower worker committees through the Fair Trade process and ensure that the funds are being used to maximize social impact."

The four principles of fair trade

Fair Trade certified good must meet certain standards which are based on four principles:

• Economic development: Workers earn a Fair Trade Premium, paid by buyers and managed by the Fair Trade Committee. The premium can be either distributed as a cash bonus or invested in a collective fund.


• Empowerment: Workers are able to effectively represent themselves in negotiations with management for improved working conditions and partner with factory management to increase workers’ empowerment.


• Social responsibility: Factories are committed to upholding internationally recognized labor standards and to provide greater benefits to workers.


• Environmental responsibility and management: Factories commit to protect and restore the natural environment, with the goal of reducing the impacts of industrial production through waste, water, chemical and energy use reduction.

Other American apparel companies have Fair Trade certified lines

Pact is not the first American apparel company to launch a Fair Trade certified line. Back in 2011, prAna became the first American apparel company to be Fair Trade certified. The company launched its first Fair Trade certified garment, the Soul T, a women’s T-shirt, in that same year. The T-shirt was first in a line of fair trade garments. prAna now offers several women’s and men’s garments that are Fair Trade certified.

Last fall, outdoor apparel company Patagonia launched a Fair Trade certified collection featuring nine styles. Patagonia committed to paying a premium directly into a special workers’ fund for every Fair Trade certified product it sells. The workers are able to decide collectively how to spend the fund, ranging from scholarships and disaster relief funds to medical care and transportation.

Image credit: Pact Apparel

Following its reverse merger with Conduit’s Client Connect, app monetization and software company Perion is ramping up its CR efforts with a $1.5m volunteering initiative.

Simone Shaltiel, Perion’s social responsibility manager, told Ethical Performance that the merger has provided the company with the resources to take a more strategic approach to corporate giving and CR. The merger has also meant that the Israel and California-based company has more than doubled in size, resulting in a HQ move to Holon, which is one of the focal points of the new volunteering programme.

The programme encourages all Perion employees to spend up to 40 work hours per year volunteering in the community. In partnership with Israel’s national food bank, Leket, and the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel, Perion employees have already started delivering monthly food packages to 100 Holocaust survivors in Holon who are living in poverty.
Individuals employees have also started volunteering in their own areas of interest and Perion’s US office staff have also introduced their own CSR progammes.

Additionally, Perion and the municipality of Holon have started working together, in collaboration with the Joint Distribution Committee, to launch a neighbourhood improvement programme in one of the city’s poorest areas.

“Establishing and launching our new CSR programme is something that is of the highest priority for our company and is one of the things we are most proud of,” said Hanit Marinov, vp of marketing. “Our company – at its core – is deeply committed to giving back to the community around us, and to ensuring that our employees are given the time and encouragement to participate in, and guide our CSR work.”

Shaltiel explained that the company was also looking to boost its workforce diversity and is currently working with non profit organisations in attempt to encourage Arab Israelis, Ethiopian Israelis and the disabled to apply for Perion vacancies. She is also looking at targeting the Aspergers community.

Shaltiel says she is fortunate that CR at Perion has buy-in from the ceo, Josef Mandelbaum, who is a passionate advocate for volunteering himself. Mandelbaum was responsible for setting the 40-hour target (it was originally only 30 hours).

“Employee satisfaction rates are a key driver for us,” Shaltiel explained. “These initiatives make people feel more committed and in the long term that is good for the business. If they make people feel excited about their work then that also helps to enhance the company’s image.”

Shaltiel says the company will measure the success of the programme with an employee satisfaction survey, the number of employees involved and the number of volunteering hours that take place.
 

With a busy week behind you and the weekend within reach, there’s no shame in taking things a bit easy on Friday afternoon. With this in mind, every Friday TriplePundit will give you a fun, easy read on a topic you care about. So, take a break from those endless email threads, and spend five minutes catching up on the latest trends in sustainability and business.

It's no secret that finding a job after being released from prison is an often insurmountable task, leading to skyrocketing recidivism rates across the country. While many companies are hesitant to hire the formerly incarcerated, a number of enterprises are taking a chance on these men and women -- and, in turn, giving them a second chance at life.

1. Isidore Electronics Recycling

This Los Angeles-based e-waste recycling company has three missions: keep old electronics out of landfills, create long-term green jobs and reduce the city's high recidivism rate by hiring formerly incarcerated Angelenos as employees.

“Here in California we have two problems – our landfills are overflowing, and our prisons are overflowing. We believe that we can help solve these two problems by creating green job prison reentry programs,” Kabira Stokes, co-founder of Isidore Electronics Recycling, said in 2013. After around two years in operation, the company now employs more than a dozen people with plans to expand.

2. Delancey Street Restaurant

For 40 years, the San Francisco-based Delancey Street Foundation has provided a home and all services to thousands of residents at no cost to clients or local taxpayers. How? By creating its own revenue through social enterprises like Delancey Street Restaurant, a local favorite for its tasty eats and breathtaking views of the Bay Bridge.

In addition to helping out with funding, the restaurant also serves as a training space for residents trying to get back on their feet. "All tips are considered donations, and all restaurant proceeds after food costs go directly to house, feed and clothe our residents and teach all skills, values and attitudes needed for a successful drug-free and crime-free life in the mainstream society," the foundation says on its website.

3. Felony Franks

Chicago paper company owner Jim Andrews hired dozens of ex-inmates in his nearly 20 years in the business. But in 2009, he decided to take things a step further by launching Felony Franks, a hot dog stand that hires only formerly incarcerated employees and provides on-the-job training to help them start a new life.

Although Andrews' mission is a pertinent one, he clearly doesn't take the whole thing too seriously: Along with the fun (and fabulously alliterated) name, Felony Franks' menu includes items like the "misdemeanor wiener."

4. RecycleForce

Using the revenue generated by its recycling business, Indianapolis-based RecycleForce is helping formerly incarcerated men and women rebuild their lives by providing gainful employment and comprehensive social services. It received a $5.5 million federal grant back in 2011 that will cover an estimated 500 workers.

"RecycleForce helps ex-offenders break down the barriers to employment by providing transitional jobs for up to six months, as well as comprehensive services designed to get their lives back on track ... This 'wrap-around' approach greatly increases the chance of sustained future employment and decreases the instances of re-offending," the company writes on its website.

5. Dave's Killer Bread

Dave's Killer Bread started out as the favorite organic bread at their local farmers market in Portland. Less than a decade later, it's the No. 1 best-selling organic bread in the country and on its way toward national availability.

In addition to organic, non-GMO ingredients, the company has another secret: One in three of its employees is a convicted felon. "Through our partner enrichment program, we're helping our employees build hard and soft skills to enhance their lives after incarceration," the company says on its website.

6. Drive Change

New York City startup Drive Change is currently building a fleet of food trucks that serve fresh and tasty fare while employing young people with criminal records.

In addition to providing hands-on work experience and transferrable skills, Drive Change works to place its employees in permanent positions – lowering recidivism rates for young people who are treated as adults in the criminal justice system from 70 percent to 20 percent for program participants, according to the startup. All sales from Drive Change food trucks recycle back into the organization to subsidize re-entry programs.

7. Planting Justice

Oakland-based Planting Justice has a simple yet powerful motto: "Grow food. Grow jobs. Grow community."

Since 2009, the organization has built more than 250 edible permaculture gardens in the San Francisco Bay Area, worked with three high-schools to develop food justice curriculum, and created 11 green jobs for men transitioning from prison in the food justice movement.

8. Homeboy Industries

Through social enterprises like farmers markets, bakeries and restaurants, Los Angeles-based Homeboy Industries gives a second chance to high-risk, formerly gang-involved men and women through a continuum of free services and programs. Homeboy's clients are also its employees, with each of its unique social enterprises serving as job-training sites.

9. Creative Matters

It's no surprise that so many companies on this list hail from California. With more than 65 percent of inmates returning to prison within three years of release, the state has the highest recidivism rate in the nation, leading many social entrepreneurs to take matters into their own hands.

This ad agency based in Los Angeles is a prime example: All but one of the agency's 15 employees are recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. The agency has grown a pool of 30 regular accounts since opening its doors in 2010, Fast Company reports.

10. Defy Ventures

New York City-based Defy Ventures goes beyond simply hiring ex-cons by giving them the tools to go into business for themselves. The entrepreneurship program provides ex-inmates with MBA-like training, executive coaching, mentoring, parenting education, character development and career opportunities.

"Our signature entrepreneurship program engages [ex-inmates] in a series of Shark Tank-style business plan competitions judged by renowned thought leaders who award up to $150,000 in seed capital to winning ventures," the company writes on its website.

11. LaunchPodium

Another success story out of San Francisco, LaunchPodium is an online marketing firm helping small businesses and entrepreneurs build websites, social engagement and advertising. Half of its full-time staff also happens to be made up of ex-inmates.

Sure, the whole staff is only only four guys right now, but as a laundry list of mom's-house-to-millionaire stories prove, Bay Area tech startups tend to grow quickly. The firm is continuing its work with formerly incarcerated men and women in the area, even hosting newly released prisoners as "entrepreneurs-in-residence," so the trend of hiring ex-inmates is likely to continue as well.

Images courtesy of Isidore Electronics Recycling and Drive Change

Based in Philadelphia, Mary Mazzoni is a senior editor at TriplePundit. She is also a freelance journalist who frequently writes about sustainability, corporate social responsibility and clean tech. Her work has appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, the Huffington Post, Sustainable Brands, Earth911 and the Daily Meal. You can follow her on Twitter @mary_mazzoni.

In keeping with its commitment to transparency and stakeholder engagement, on July 24, 2014, Mars, Incorporated held a live Twitter chat in collaboration with Aman Singh and TriplePundit to offer an in-depth discussion about sustainability at the food manufacturer.

Mars, Inc. published its fourth annual Principles in Action Summary this month, which details the company’s approach to business, its progress, and the shared challenges facing both its business and society.  The Principles in Action Summary underscores its commitment to put Mars’ Five Principles into action to make a difference to people and the planet through its performance.  Mars remains a private, family-owned business dedicated to the objective first expressed by Forrest E. Mars, Sr. in 1947 – to create a mutuality of benefits for all its stakeholders through its operations.

The Summary outlines the particular challenges and accomplishments associated with manufacturing food across a number of global iconic brands such as M&M’S, Snickers, Pedigree, Wrigley’s EXTRA, Uncle Ben’s, Whiskas and more.

In partnership with TriplePundit, Mars discussed via Twitter chat how it, as one of the world’s leading food manufacturers with more than 130 manufacturing sites, handles sustainability. Attendees learned about the company's biggest goals, challenges and accomplishments in meeting milestones and plans for the years to come.

In case you missed it, here's the Storify summary of the conversation along with additional follow up on questions that we couldn't get to in time! 

Extra Follow Up

We had such a great turnout of questions that we weren't able to ask them all in the time allotted.  The Mars team took a little extra time to follow up today. Please see more questions and answers below!

@cmehallow: Does @MarsGlobal use @CDP Water Disclosure to manage/measure its #water impacts?

We have just completed our second CDP Carbon response and are evaluating the Water and Forest programs.

@csrdispatch: This might be a cheeky question, but do you feel a conflict between commitment to sustainability and selling junk food?

Our consumers, both people and their pets, get nutrition and pleasure from our products.  We are continuing to look at the role of our portfolio in addressing nutrition and obesity.

@dgardinera @dataeco: What have been your experiences with large #renewableenergy procurement?#MarsSusty

Our most recent large scale project was Mesquite Creek, but we have on-site projects or 100% renewable contracts at more than a dozen globally. We also just announced another project in Australia last week: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/10219-the-sun-won-t-melt-this-mars-bar.html

@kellyfmill: Specific ways #sustainability goals are integreated w/ other departments? #MarsSusty

We believe it’s everybody’s responsibility, therefore we have goals in all functions/departments in the business. 

@jsonenshine: Can you share how you are driving farmer productivity? A3b: Driving farmer productivity is our way to do both.

Yes, as an example in cocoa, we are providing training, latest planting material and access to fertilizer for farmers.

@wssocialimpact: How does @MarsGlobal address sustainability goals in the short term?

We have a range of Sourcing Targets for 2015 and 2020 and Operations Targets (SiG) for 2015. More info at:

http://www.mars.com/global/about-mars/mars-pia/our-operations/sustainable-in-a-generation.aspx

http://www.mars.com/global/about-mars/mars-pia/our-supply-chain.aspx

@gurumug: How you cross-verify #sustainability reporting standards/systems ?

We have a third party audit of our data and an assurance by Corporate Citizenship.

@greenguyboston: Glad to see your sustainable sourcing goals, but what is your progress to date against them?

Check out our 2013 Principles in Action Summary to learn more on our progress to date: http://mars.com/pia.

@jreneemorin: What are @MarsGlobal biggest challenges working with suppliers on #MarsSusty?

One of the challenges is that we work with 100k+ suppliers and often many tiers of them back to the farmer. 

@cmehallow: When @MarsGlobal needs to access capital markets, does its strong #susty program provide advantage?

We are a private, family-owned business, but we do believe that boosting our reputation through sustainability is crucial to attracting great people to work for us

@rohitms4  #MarsSusty Is there any specific standard to measure your success in #sustainability?

Yes, measurement of impact and not just activity. 

@earthshare: How is @MarsGlobal investing in associates and their communities? #MarsSusty

In 2013 we did more than 500K hours of Associate training, and through the Mars Volunteer Program, 19K Associates devoted 70K hours to their communities.

In response to A15: @darrylv: That is promising. How about elsewhere in your supply chain? #MarsSusty

Because there are more farmers in cocoa than any other crop we purchase, we started there first and we’re looking to learn from our experiences in cocoa.

@beth_rcarnac: As a Mars Associate, I'd love to ask @MarsGlobalWhere have you seen our Associates best come together to collaborate on this #MarsSusty

There are Associates at every factory around the world and collaborating across our sites to achieving our SiG goals. 

***

The chat, sponsored by Mars, Inc, was led by Barry Parkin, Mars’ Chief Sustainability Officer, who is responsible for developing and driving Mars’ global sustainability programs across the value chain from farmers through to consumers. TriplePundit founder Nick Aster and CSRwire’s Editorial Director Aman Singh facilitated the chat, providing an opportunity for journalists, bloggers, industry analysts and other interested parties to get an in-depth look at Mars’ sustainability strategy.

 

Bangladesh's Rana Plaza building collapse and the deaths of more than 1,100 workers in April 2013 triggered calls for better conditions in the garment industry. From that singular event, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety was created to drive improvements, but a year later and despite some real progress, there is still much more to do.

Reversing decades of sweatshop conditions suddenly exposed by the building collapse will take time and a lot of money. Work to bring Bangladeshi factories used by North American retailers up to acceptable fire and building safety standards will cost more than $100 million and take at least 18 months to complete, according to the alliance’s first annual report released this week.

The alliance was formed a year ago by a group of North American apparel companies, retailers and brands, including Gap and Wal-Mart. Over that span the alliance has inspected all 587 member factories, developed worker empowerment initiatives to amplify worker voices on safety issues, and made “major financial investments to support factory improvements and shared the results of our work openly and transparently,” said Ellen Tauscher, independent chair of the alliance.

In addition to the inspection of member factories, the alliance cites these accomplishments in the report:

• The alliance recommended the closure (or partial closure) of 10 unsafe factories.


• Members backed more than $100 million in capital for their respective supply chains and provided several finance options including short- to medium-term loan guarantees through the International Finance Corporation and supply chain-based financing.


• Member companies began to formalize direct loans for factory remediation.


• The alliance successfully advocated for the elimination of tariffs on key safety equipment, making critical items significantly more affordable.


• Members doubled the duration of compensation provided to displaced workers from two to four months, and disbursed about $5 million in wages to approximately 1,000 workers displaced by factory closures or suspensions


• The alliance developed and implemented Bangladesh’s first harmonized Fire Safety and Structural Integrity Standard and trained more than 1 million workers and managers in basic fire safety.


• The alliance hired seven professional local companies to serve as Qualified Assessment Firms to conduct independent inspections.

The group also began publishing all inspection reports and Corrective Action Plans on its website.

Amazing as this seems now: Before the alliance was formed there was no common fire and building safety standard, inspections were highly inconsistent and uncoordinated, worker safety trainings were not designed to meet the needs of a diverse workforce, and there was little transparency about inspection efforts, the report's authors note.

Ian Spaulding, a senior adviser to the alliance, added that a key part of maintaining standards in Bangladesh's clothing factories would be the introduction of democratic institutions, such as trade unions, that support worker rights. There remains some resistance from factory owners: In April, it emerged that fewer than 300 of Bangladesh's 5,000 clothing factories allowed trade unions.

Basically the alliance had to start at ground-zero to even establish a framework to address the many problems. Twelve months later, significant progress is evident, but cleaning up a shameful and shocking episode is still a work in progress.

Image credit: Bangladeshi garment worker from the Alliance website

With a $10 billion inaugural commitment from national cooperative bank and Farm Credit System member CoBank, the White House Rural Council on July 24 launched the Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund. The private investment fund aims to spur good job creation across rural America by investing in infrastructure and institutional development projects.

Illustrating the symbiosis inherent in public-private partnerships, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies will help identify promising rural development projects for the fund manager, Capital Peak Asset Management. Capitol Peak, in turn, will work on recruiting additional fund participants and raising investment capital.

Stimulating rural infrastructure investment

USDA Secretary and White House Rural Council Chairman Tom Vilsack announced the rural infrastructure fund's launch during the first White House Rural Opportunity Investment Conference in the nation's capital. The fund's launch builds on the $150 million Rural Business Investment Company created by President Barack Obama earlier this year.

The Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund's remit is broad and potentially far-reaching. The types of investments it is to target include hospitals, schools and other educational facilities, rural water and wastewater systems, energy projects, broadband infrastructure, local and regional food systems, and others. Commenting on the fund's launch, Secretary Vilsack said:

"This fund represents a new approach to our support for job-creating projects across the country. USDA and other agencies invest in infrastructure through a variety of federal initiatives, but our resources are finite and there are backlogs of projects in many parts of the economy.

“We know where investment opportunities exist, so we are in a position to help promote these projects among investors. With new efforts like this we can move beyond existing programs and help encourage substantial private investment in projects that grow the economy and improve quality of life for millions of Americans."

Looking to broaden and deepen fund participation, the fund is open to pension funds, endowments, foundations and other institutional investors.

Elaborating on the fund's goals, Vilsack added:

"Meeting the world's needs for food and farm products, as well as the growing demand in areas like renewable energy, local food, and the bio-economy will require continued investment in rural places. Many major investors in urban centers aren't always aware of the significant investment opportunities in rural communities.

“If the White House Rural Council can help facilitate even a small portion of the enormous amount of available investment capital into rural places, we can grow key industries and create jobs in rural and urban areas from coast to coast."

Adding to the Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund and the Rural Investment Company, Secretary Vilsack said that similar new investment vehicles are in the works. For all of them, the Obama administration sees the potential for private-sector investors to capitalize on federal government resources and deliver social and environmental and economic benefits to rural communities across the U.S.

Image credit: White House Rural Council

The following is part of a series by our friends at CSRHub (a 3p sponsor) – offering free sustainability and corporate social responsibility ratings on over 8,900 of the world’s largest publicly traded and private companies. 3p readers get 15 percent off CSRHub’s professional subscriptions with promo code “TP15.″

As previously seen on the CSRHub blog.

We are excited to announce Ethical Barcode has released a new app that lets you uncover what you're truly supporting when you shop. Scan barcodes quickly at the grocery store, and make an empowered, ethical decision on what to buy. Ethical Barcode is using the newly updated CSRHub Specification for REST Access (CSRA) API to power CSRHub ratings into the app. Use Ethical Barcode to empower your next trip to the grocery store and instantly find out which companies really share your values on child labor, animal testing, deforestation and other ethical issues.

The app is already receiving some great reviews at the Google Play store:

"Just what I needed! It's now convenient to shop cruelty free. I'm so excited!" - KGV

"This app lets you know how sustainable a product is just by scanning the barcode. It is great helping you do your part to protect our planet!" - P Hader

Learn more at ethicalbarcode.com/  and download for Android or Apple today.

Interested in piping CSRHub ratings into your next app or project? We are happy to help.  The CSRHub Specification for REST Access (CSRA) API offers a simple way for professional-level CSRHub subscribers and partners to request information from the CSRHub database. There are now 105 calls listed in the API, with more than 200 variations. A developer can easily write code that requests CSRHub overall, category or subcategory ratings. Applications can also use the CSRA API to request information about companies, ratings at the overall, category, or subcategory level for any month from December 2008 through the present, average ratings for industries and more.  Check out our newly updated API! Subscribe to CSRHub today for access to the CSRHub Specification for REST Access (CSRA) API.  Let us know your development plans, and we can help promote your app or project release!

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CSRHub provides access to corporate social responsibility and sustainability ratings and information on 8,900+ companies from 135 industries in 102 countries. By aggregating and normalizing the information from 325 data sources, CSRHub has created a broad, consistent rating system and a searchable database that links millions of rating elements back to their source. Managers, researchers and activists use CSRHub to benchmark company performance, learn how stakeholders evaluate company CSR practices and seek ways to change the world.

By Hannah Corbett

The use of renewable and sustainable energy sources is growing worldwide. Subsequently, new technologies for sustainable energy are ever-emerging, and some are rather unusual. Outside of the more commonplace solar, tidal and wind energy sources, researchers have uncovered some uncommon ways of producing and harnessing renewable energy, and decreasing worldwide dependency on fossil fuels.

Anaerobic Digestion – Anaerobic digestion is slowly becoming a more ordinary method of energy production for both businesses and households alike. It involves harnessing the gasses that are produced as a result of biodegradation. Anaerobic digestion can be used on both large and small scales -- even for everyday household food waste, creating a useful form of waste management for homeowners.

Algae – Algae, yes the slimy green stuff you find at the bottom of a pond, contains cells which produce oil. Half of its body weight, in fact, is lipid oil. Lipid oil can be harvested and converted into fuel. The resulting biodiesel is more clean and efficient than petroleum, as well as more sustainable.

Although there are a few obstacles stopping algae fuel from being utilized on a huge scale, much research is being done to overcome these problems. The space that’s required to grow enough algae to produce a significant amount of oil, for example, is one obstacle. As is that fact that conditions, such as temperature, must be exact to enable optimum growth, and some of these conditions may be difficult to control.

Chocolate – There are a few different ways in which chocolate has been used to produce clean energy. The waste left over from a chocolate factory in the U.K. was fed to E. coli bacteria, which resulted in the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels, it’s only by-product being water. Fat from chocolate was also converted into biofuel and used to power a racing car, which reached 130 miles per hour on the racetrack.

The shells of cocoa beans can also be converted into biofuel: A chocolate factory and power plant in New Hampshire recently joined forces to include cocoa bean shells, many of which are produced as waste from the chocolate factory, as an additional fuel source. Read more about it here.

Dance floors – The sustainable dance floor converts kinetic energy into electricity. Kinetic energy is generated by movement, such as people walking or dancing. The electricity is used to power the LED lights in the floor itself. Excess electricity can also be fed back the grid and sold, much in the same way excess energy from a solar panel might be, or it could be used to power other systems within the same building.

The technology used in the sustainable dance floor could potentially be applied to other situations and locations, such as a bus train station for example, to make the most of kinetic energy generated by movement.

Space-based solar power – Solar power has become increasingly popular in recent years, so much so that even some road signs are powered by the sun. But, solar power as we know it may take a big step in the future.

Space-based solar power has yet to happen, but the idea has been around for years. What it is, basically, is the concept of launching solar panels into space to harvest the sun’s energy, rather than doing so down here on Earth. This method would require no water or space on the Earth’s surface and would have zero carbon emission and produce no waste. One of the key factors stalling the launch of space-based solar is how the energy would be wirelessly transmitted back to Earth, and also how much the whole thing would cost.

Sound waves – Sounds can be converted in electricity through something called piezoelectricity. Piezoelectric materials generate energy when put under some form of mechanical stress, such as a sound wave. It is thought that piezoelectric materials can be utilised in electronics, such as mobile phones, to produce self-charging devices.

Zinc – In 2012, a New Jersey startup developed a type of zinc-air battery that it claimed could revolutionize renewable energy storage. Claimed by Eos Energy Storage to be twice as dense as a lithium-ion battery, the zinc-air battery could potentially replace natural gas 'peakers' (or plants that only turn on during peak demand), allowing for fully renewable power. The startup recently raised $15 million in Series B round funding to develop the technology, which also has potential for the electric vehicle industry.

Some of these sustainable energy technologies are still in development stages and not ready to be properly utilised, yet. However, there are a number of methods, such as the aforementioned wind, solar and tidal technologies, which are widely available to commercial and domestic environments. Even when renewable energy is not easily accessible, you can still play your part by supporting green energy suppliers and reducing your energy consumption as much as possible.

Image credit: caveman_92223, Flickr

Hannah Corbett is a writer specialising in all things green and renewable energy. Follow her on Twitter, or connect on Google+ to keep up to date with all the latest news in green technology.

By Nathan Edwards

The world of international development has been regularly challenged by growing social issues. The need has emerged for institutions other than the government to address many of these matters. Ashoka is one non-government organization that has taken the reins.

Ashoka houses a peer network of social entrepreneurs who work to create systematic change to global issues by means of public policy. The organization has brought together thought leaders from both the private and public sector who share a vision for a future where everyone has the ability to ignite change.

The international non-government organization was founded by Bill Drayton in 1980 in India. It has since expanded around the world with a network of 3,000 fellows present in 70 countries and a headquarters in Washington, D.C. I am privileged to be working as an intern in the Ashoka Brasil office located in São Paulo this summer.

When the Ashoka Brasil office was launched in 1986, it began its acquisition of what is now one of the largest networks of social entrepreneurs around the world. Through the years, the development of the social sectors within this nation has, to an extent, been largely affected by the innovative solutions of these social entrepreneurs.

I have quickly learned that this visionary engine is successfully altering our conception of what it means to be a world citizen. It works behind the scenes in the development and reformation of social values in areas of economics, health, human rights, civic participation, environment and education. Yet, rather than imposing change upon a population who may or may not desire it, Ashoka provides the tools necessary for both the social entrepreneur and the community to take their own action.

The means of enacting this change is entrusted to Ashoka’s network of fellows and their projects, 357 of which have been selected in Brasil alone. Candidates for fellowship undergo a comprehensive selection process that evaluates each individual based on the following criteria: their new innovative idea, social impact, entrepreneurship, creativity and ethical fiber. This evaluation lasts a minimum of six months and consists of a number of interviews from both local Ashoka fellows and global Ashoka staff.  Only a handful of fellows are selected each year.

Currently, 54.6 percent of Brasil’s fellows operate in the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro areas, and 24 percent administer projects pertaining to human rights issues.

In 2008, the financial crisis that impacted the world also brought challenges to the social sector, including Ashoka. Upwards of 60 international offices, previously funded by the headquarters in Washington, D.C., were now asked to be self-sustainable. Maybe more than others, Brasil’s office was challenged by this request due to a culture of philanthropy in the nation that is not yet as developed as in Europe and the United States.

During this period, the office put its efforts into venture fellowship and developing networks of executive strategic partners.  This altered focus was in an effort to reach Ashoka’s next vision coined, “Everyone a Changemaker World."  They are working with mavens, businesses, philanthropists and fellows alike to disseminate what Ashoka believes are the necessary skills to becoming a change-maker.  These skills include empathy, collaborative leadership and interdisciplinary teamwork.  Ashoka Brasil is working hard to be a leading generator of entrepreneurial answers to the social issues of contemporary society.

Now the office is looking to focus its search and selection of fellows into the north and northeastern regions of Brazil. Although including 14 states of Brazil’s 26, the north and northeast regions only account for around 24 percent of Ashoka’s fellows. This area is notorious for its high levels of poverty and limited investment.

For the next panel of fellow selection, Ashoka Brasil is looking to present northeastern candidates focusing on issues of informal education and economic development. In order to do this, the office is creating a network of nominators attuned to the this region’s trends of development who can identify potential fellows .

Leading Ashoka Brasil’s efforts is current office director, Claudia Duran.  Duran began at Ashoka in August of 2012 as manager of Ashoka’s partnership with global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. before acquiring her current title in September of 2013.

Duran has been working hard with her team to develop a local strategy aligned with the NGO's global mission: “At Ashoka Brasil we constantly search and support social innovators in all areas, working closely with social entrepreneurs from our network, companies and civil society.”

Duran admits that there are always challenges, “It has been difficult to do fundraising in Brasil, there is a very different culture for supporting social sector initiatives.” She believes that, “Ashoka still needs to be better positioned in the private sector and needs to find mavens that can disseminate and support our work.”

Yet, Duran is optimistic about the future of Ashoka in Brasil. "I would like to see the Fellow network much more active, interacting with Ashoka and amongst themselves,” Duran said, “I also would like to better position Ashoka Brasil in the market so to have more strategic partners in the private sector supporting Ashoka and Fellow initiatives.”  Simultaneously she wants to work, “collaboratively with these partners to help develop their corporate social responsibility strategies.”

Ashoka has been the world leader of social entrepreneurship since its establishment. Now, the organization is looking to encourage others to continue to support social entrepreneurs and their initiatives. The goal of the organization is to influence a world where everyone has awareness of the challenges that surround them and the capacity to ignite change.

 Nathan Edwards is a sophomore Sociology and Anthropology major with a concentration in cross-cultural studies at Carleton College in Northfield, MN.  This summer, he is working as an intern with the international non-government organization, Ashoka, in its São Paulo, Brazil office while conducting anthropological research on the NGO sector. Nathan is interested in cross-cultural journalism and community development, specifically, in developing countries.  He would like to pursue a career where he studies the varying communities, cultures and social dynamics within a nation and then finds a means to illuminate the diverse perspectives.